Sex my Electric blue jack dempseys!

[BlueJax]

Here's a photo of my electric blues. I'm hoping the top fish is male and the bottom is female, but I'm keen to hear what you think.

The top fish is bigger, more aggressive with other fish, but shy when people walk past the tank. The bottom fish is less colourful, more compact, much more outgoing and always being chased around by the top fish.

They're only around the 3" mark at the moment but eating like pigs.

Also, the male has had some kind of pop-eye in his left eye ever since I got him. It doesn't seem to bother him (he actually prefers to use that eye for scavenging food off the substrate!) but I'm keen to hear suggestions on how to cure it. I've tried Octozin and a cure-all product from esHa, but no luck with either of those. A friend suggested Metafix, but I don't know where to buy it - they don't have it at my LFS.

By the way, I don't want to hear anyone waffling on about how you can't breed two electric blues together. I've already heard of two successful spawnings between pure blues, one of which achieved free swimming fry. Until someone produces photos of a pair of blues with blue fry or a sob story of a pair of blues with infertile eggs then I'm happy to wait until mine are breeding size and find out for myself!

 

[Cylon]

I can not tell yet.

 

[MacFish]

Ya it's still a little early to try and sex them.

It does kinda look like you might be right though based on body and head shape. It could just be the camera angle though.

 

[BlueJax]

Cheers for those replies..keep 'em coming people!

Can either of you two (Cylon or Macfish) tell me what size my EBJDs are likely to think about breeding, or do I have to wait til I wake up one day and all my other fish are lying dead on the tank floor? :devil:

Also, do you know of anyone who's managed to mate a female EBJD to a male normal JD? I'm just thinking that if mine do turn out to be male and female, but they don't want to pair up then I'll probably pair the male to a normal JD female, and I'd like to pair the female up to a normal JD male too, but the forums I've read suggest that this is likely to end in tears.

Is that your big male on the background of your site Cylon? He's lovely.

 

[cohazard]

By the way, I don't want to hear anyone waffling on about how you can't breed two electric blues together.

How exactly does one waffle? Sounds like something I might like to try.... waffles are a good thing in my book.

Joking aside, I want to wish you luck with breeding those beautiful fish, you picked two very good looking blue demps.

I'm no expert, but I do have experience with raising very small 1" blue dempseys, and based on head shape, I'd say the dempsey in the bottom picture is younger than the one in the top picture.

Blues do have a tendency to vary greatly in the intensity of their color, also depends a lot IME on what color substrate they're over; lighter being better.

What are their tankmates?

 

[MacFish]

They should breed at about the same size as regular dempsey's. I haven't bred them but I would guess the male is likely to be at least 5" and the female around 4".

I haven't heard of anyone breeding a female Blue to a regular male. I've also read the regular male will likely be too much for the smaller blue female.

I think I have a female so I'm considering giving it a go myself. I'm just scared she'll get killed

Here's mine. She (I think) is about 2 years old and just under 5".

 

[Cylon]

I have breed an EBJD and a Standard. This is the right way to do it. You take their babys and breed them with an EBJD from a differant blood line. I have not heard of any one yet breeding 2 EBJDs and have the babys live without being stearal. In most cases the babys will live a few days and all die off.

Look at my sig.
Those EBJDs I am pairing with the babys I had from my mating pair. The male was 5 inches when he paired and breed.
So for a final result of getting some EBJDs you have to breed a EBJD with a Blue Gened Jack Dempseky.
This is what I have learned reading and my experience up to this point. However, this is my hobbie I don't know everything.

Mac you could try it but let your Female get 5 to 6 and try with a smaller male. Your right in general these fish don't like each other much. My male beats his female between breeding cycles

 

[cohazard]

MacFish that is a gorgeous female!! They're not too common out there; you should spread your photos around the net my friend.

Not even a year ago I can remember hearing theories that females didn't exist, so what you have is sort of rare.

 

[MacFish]

MacFish that is a gorgeous female!! They're not too common out there; you should spread your photos around the net my friend.

Not even a year ago I can remember hearing theories that females didn't exist, so what you have is sort of rare.

Thanks but I am not 100% sure it is a female

Cylon,
I was thinking the same thing but wondered if I might be better off getting a bigger male and make a divider that she can fit through that he can't. At least she'd be able to have somewhere safe to go.

I don't have enough tank space right now anyway. Hopefully I'll be able ot give it a try by summer.

 

[Cylon]

I agree with you Mac, Your fish doese look female